Rugby League great Mal Meninga visits Callaghan Park

Names in the National Rugby League don’t come much bigger than Immortal Mal Meninga, one of the most influential figures in the game and Queensland’s Origin history.

The inaugural coach of the NRL’s Perth Bears, Meninga, will be the guest speaker at Tuesday night’s Confraternity Carnival dinner in Rockhampton, and he took time out today to visit his cousin, Rocky-based thoroughbred trainer Roy Thompson, at Callaghan Park.

Confraternity is the annual footy Carnival in Rocky this week, organised by Queensland Independent Secondary Schools Rugby League (QISSRL).

Some of the biggest names in Queensland Rugby League, including former State of Origin greats, are at the Confraternity Carnival, which has delivered dozens of future rugby league stars. Major Sponsor FOGS (Former Origin Greats Queensland) included in yesterday’s opening ceremony were FOG#4 Mal Meninga, FOG#9 Wally Lewis, FOG#42 Bob Lindner, and FOG#85 Matt Sing.

Besides taking a brief time out to catch up with his “Cuz” at the racetrack, Meninga is attending the playing fields to take in action from the 72 competing teams in the same way he did in 2016 when Rockhampton last hosted Confro.

The visits of the former greats are part of the FOGS partnership with Queensland Independent Secondary Schools Rugby League (QISSRL), which runs Confraternity Carnival. FOGS are providing a range of initiatives, including footballs for each of the 72 teams and generous fundraising support for regional teams.

• David Aldred CEO